LVIV - The Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) has
called upon the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) to overcome
the crisis inside the Church and unite in a national Orthodox Church in
Ukraine. The press service of the UOC-KP released the statement, titled
"We Will Love in Deed and Truth, But not Through Words and Tongue,"
on March 20.

The text of the statement follows.

"With deep sorrow did the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate
learn that over the last several months the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox
Church has suffered events that aggravated the division in the Ukrainian
Orthodoxy. Metropolitan Mefodii [Kudriakov], spiritual head of the Ukrainian
Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and Archbishop Ihor [Isichenko of Kharkiv
and Poltava], responsible for managing affairs of the patriarchate of the
UAOC, released documents that caused another split in the UAOC.

"The agreement on concrete measures towards unification signed by
the UOC-KP and the UAOC at the Constantinople Patriarchate, working meetings
on this matter both in the Constantinople Patriarchate and in Ukraine, and
the approval of concluding documents gave many Orthodox believers in Ukraine
hope that the division between the two Orthodox jurisdictions with similar
standpoints concerning patriotism and the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox
Church would be overcome.

"Unfortunately, since that time little has been done towards unification.
The Kyiv Patriarchate has repeatedly called to resume the process which
had already been begun, but received no response. After the UAOC hierarchs
with whom an agreement had been reached lost their unity, the current situation
was aggravated even more.

"Therefore, the Kyiv Patriarchate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
fulfills its obligation to encourage the hierarchs and faithful of the UAOC
to unite in a national Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This unification corresponds
to the message and the spirit of the documents which were signed by plenipotentiary
representatives of the UAOC in the Constantinople Patriarchate in the presence
of His Beatitude Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople. This unification
will meet the demands of Ukrainian Orthodoxy and mean the fulfillment of
the covenant of love given by Jesus Christ."